1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to computer systems and, more specifically, to the use of a computer system to automatically process and track requests and responses required for repetitive tasks.
2. Related Art
Conventionally, people process and track requests and responses for repetitive tasks by using a manual processing and tracking scheme (PTS). FIG. 1 illustrates a typical manual PTS environment 102.
A business 112 processes requests from customers and/or vendors (represented as a source of requests 108 in FIG. 1). The business 112 utilizes a manual PTS to process and track these requests.
In particular, a user 104 (who is employed by a business 112) receives instructions on a human-intelligible medium (such as a procedures manual) from a source of instructions 106 (such as a person or institution who is knowledgeable in processing requests, for example) on how to handle a request. The user 104 receives a request on a human-intelligible medium (such as a service order form written on paper) from a source of requests 108 (such as a customer or vendor). The user 104 processes the request according to the instructions and sends a message, on a human-intelligible medium, to other users 110 (such other users 110 may perform some role in processing the request). The message may include request. If the instructions require a response from the other users 110, then the user 104 may remind the other users 110 (who have not responded) to send their responses to the user 104. The user 104 waits until all responses are received from the other users 112.
The manual PTS environment 102 has several disadvantages. First, the manual PTS is administratively unwieldy. The user 104 must manually handle instructions, requests, messages, reminders, and responses which are on some human-intelligible media (i.e., printed matter on paper), and this human-intelligible media could be lost or damaged while the user 104 utilizes the manual PTS. Second, the manual PTS is prone to human error, inconsistent, and unreliable. As a result of human error, the user 104 may not consistently or reliably perform all of the many steps of the manual PTS. Third, the manual PTS is tedious, time-consuming, and expensive. The user 104 must perform tedious and time-consuming functions while utilizing the manual PTS, thereby potentially leading to more human errors. As a result of these disadvantages, the manual PTS may not be useful for effectively, efficiently, and accurately tracking the requests.
An example of such a business 112 which utilizes a manual PTS is a telecommunications company. A telecommunications company owns and maintains a telecommunications system. The telecommunications system includes equipment from a plurality of different manufacturers (also called vendors of the telecommunications company). Such equipment is added, modified, and replaced on a continuing basis. Thus, the telecommunications company necessarily needs to identify, test, and/or control any changes made by the manufacturers to any piece of equipment.
A manufacturer informs the telecommunications company of a change or modification to its product by issuing a Product Change Notice (PCN). Bell Communications Research (Bellcore) has established a well-known, standard format for PCNs. This is described in "Guidelines for Product Change Notices", technical Reference, TR-OPT-000209, Issue 5, August 1991 (hereinafter called the PCN standard), which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
When a telecommunications company receives a PCN from a manufacturer on a piece of equipment, the telecommunications company must ensure that this PCN is reviewed by everyone who needs to review the effects that a change to this piece of equipment can have in the systems or on the products where the piece of equipment is being used.
Conventionally, a telecommunications company utilizes a multi-step, manual PTS to ensure that a received PCN is properly reviewed. First, the telecommunications company employs many users to check databases related to the systems or the products where the piece of equipment which is being changed is being used. Second, telecommunications company users determine whether the changed piece of equipment could be used to replace older pieces of equipment or products in the telecommunications company's telecommunications system, and whether the changed piece of equipment could be added to new telecommunications systems or networks of the telecommunications company. Telecommunications company users make this determination by reviewing test data from the manufacturer of the piece of equipment and/or by testing the piece of equipment in the telecommunications company's laboratory.
Telecommunications company users need to receive and understand instructions and requests, need to send messages, reminders, and reports to other users, and need to receive responses from the other users. Conventionally, telecommunications company users have utilized manual PTSs to track requests. As indicated above, however, such manual PTSs suffer from a number of disadvantages.